In passenger aircraft of the type mentioned above, the baggage is usually loaded and transported as individual items rather than as containers. Two loading workers are always needed for loading. Once the baggage is brought on a baggage cart directly to the cargo compartment door, the first worker takes the baggage from the cart and lifts it into the cargo compartment. The second worker then stows the baggage inside the cargo compartment.
In contrast, the baggage intended for loading into a larger aircraft having more than about 150 seats, can be loaded and transported in a simple, known manner by means of baggage containers.
In order to simplify the stowing of baggage in passenger aircraft of the size having about 80 to 150 seats, loading aids in the form of conveyor belts are known which are part of the aircraft. In such a known system, the baggage is stowed directly from the door area of the cargo compartment by means of a belt system. However, a worker is still needed to sit in the door area of the cargo compartment to place the baggage which is handed to him on the conveyor belt. An unloading operation runs in the opposite direction but still requires a worker in the door area. Since the height of the cargo compartment is only 0.8 to 1.1 m, the loading and unloading of the conveyor belt can only be carried out when the worker is in a sitting position. The weight of the individual luggage pieces can be up to 20 kg which leads to an unusual bodily strain on the worker in the aircraft, especially on the spinal cord, when the worker must perform his job in a sitting position.